Bill to decide Puerto Rico's status moves forward

WASHINGTON 
A House committee approved a proposal Wednesday that would let Puerto Ricans decide their island's political status. It was unclear whether the full Congress would consider the bill.

The Natural Resources Committee approved the Puerto Rico Democracy Act of 2009, which was submitted by the island's resident commissioner, Pedro Pierluisi.

Voters would choose between keeping the island's commonwealth status, adopted in 1952, or to opt for something different. In the latter case, a second plebiscite would let them decide whether they wanted statehood, independence or independence with a loose association to the United States.

Two of the island's main parties oppose the proposal, and a similar bill that the committee approved in October 2007 has since died. Wednesday's debate marked the 68th time that the House has debated a bill related to Puerto Rico's status.

Puerto Ricans voted to maintain the island's current status and rejected statehood in nonbinding referendums in 1967, 1993 and 1998.

Residents of the U.S. Caribbean commonwealth are barred from voting in presidential elections, and their Congressional delegate cannot vote.